Shu, 36, was born in Taiwan and started her acting career in Hong Kong in 1996. She acted in some B films when she was young, but more recently has appeared in critically acclaimed and commercially successful films.

Yu Guofu, a Beijing-based lawyer with the Sheng Feng Law Firm who specializes in online cases, told China Daily on Tuesday that netizens who attacked Shu and published nude photos of her have infringed on Shu's civil rights.

People who posted obscene photos may also have violated criminal laws, he said.

"Those netizens have destroyed a regular online order and they deserve to be punished," he said.